Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Or Edward – Or Robert – Damn it.
Chapter Six: You Smiled For A Second
EPOV
I had become one of those weirdos.
I desperately wanted to see Bella again, so I had taken to waiting casually around a few places I thought I would just happen to run into her. I stayed in the lobby of Weston during the evenings, hoping to catch her coming or going. I waited outside in the Quarry by the Six hoping she'd come by for coffee before her morning classes. It caused me to be late to my Tuesday/Thursday Biomechanics course twice. I was pathetic.
I had been searching for two weeks, and on Friday she found me. Well, sort of.
It was already eleven o'clock and I was running on empty. I needed caffeine right then if I was to survive practice that afternoon. Emm had gotten a text from Rose saying to meet her, so we made our way to the Quarry and got in line at the Six.
And Bella just happened to be in line right behind us. She was soaking wet. Her hair was damp, and a few tendrils from her ponytail had come loose, swirling around her face. She looked like she had been misted with mineral water. Her skin was all dewy and fresh. I almost forgot how to speak.
Of course Emmett knew how to. And he was a complete jackass. "So this is the famous Bella," he had said. God, I hoped she didn't read into that. I hoped it wasn't completely obvious that I had been talking about her nonstop for two weeks. That I had desperately wanted to see her again after the Halloween party. That Emmett had threatened to go knock on her door last Saturday when he was in my room playing Wii Mario Cart with me.
Emmett's behavior towards her hadn't surprised me in the least. He let her in on the fact that he wasn't really in line for coffee, and she let him know what she thought about that. I was impressed with her quick wit. Anyone who could stop Emmett McCarty in his tracks was ok in my book. "Only out for yourself, huh?" she had asked.
She hit the nail on the head. The only reason Emmett was in line was because Rose was giving him a show. Hell, she was giving everyone a show that afternoon. She was bent over the counter, showing the cashier her ample cleavage I'm sure, and the rest of the line her… assets. Everyone was eating it up, especially the cashier from the looks he was giving her. Poor guy didn't know he was playing with fire.
I was always confused as to why Emmett liked it when she did that kind of stuff. They had been together so long that I just had to roll my eyes at their "games," and at his constant sexual innuendos. Emm may have been an asswipe, but those two were perfect for each other.
When we finally made it up to the counter, Bella refused to let me pay for her coffee. She was so stubborn. I won out eventually though, paying for both of our drinks. When they were ready, I hoped she would join me for a while, and that Emmett would somehow disappear.
I made my way over to an empty table, and was suddenly nervous to be around Bella. Especially when she sat down next to me. I tried hard to calm my nerves, and was actually glad Emm hadn't disappeared – he kept the conversation light.
As soon as I started to relax around her, it was time to go. Was I being punished? I had finally gotten to see her again. I was so mad that I couldn't stay and just sit with her all afternoon.
I made some comment on how this had happened to us before and she replied with "no big deal." No big deal. Like it didn't even matter. Maybe I was reading too much into this. Maybe I was a stalker. I was looking for her for two weeks. I had been ecstatic to find her, and it was no big deal that I had to go.
I said I would see her later, and she bit into her lower lip. God she was fascinating. I wanted nothing more than to find out everything I could about her. Like why she bit her lip all of the time. Or why she drove an old Chevy pickup. Or why she absolutely hated the fact that I had just paid for her coffee. There were just a million things that I wanted to know about her.
I had to will my feet to move away from her. I was in a daze until I reached the locker room. But I was brought out of it soon enough, because Emmett just wouldn't let up.
"So you got it pretty bad, huh Cullen?" he asked while I taped up Jasper's lower back.
"What is he talking about?" Jasper asked me.
"Dude, he hasn't told you about Bella? Come on man, why am I the only one that has to put up with your emo shit?" Emmett asked, looking over at me.
"Shut up Emm," Jasper said as I was finishing up. I smirked at him. He knew how to handle our old friend. Kind of like Bella had earlier that day.
"Oh, is Bella that chick you ditched me for on Halloween? I hope that's working out," he said.
"What? He hadn't seen her again until today. She was in line behind us at the Six. I was playing with Rose. Which reminds me, I gotta give that girl a dose of her own medicine later," Emmett said with a wink.
Gross. I didn't think I would ever understand those two.
The three of us made our way out to the practice field, and I had never been so unwilling to go. I loved my job, and I loved baseball. But that afternoon was just the worst possible time for me to be on the field.
I stood around, watching Coach Miller run batting practice, with each hitter getting about ten to fifteen swings in. Each pitcher took turns throwing to Coach Green as the rest of the team stood around to watch. I didn't know who was more bored that afternoon, the players or me.
As practice progressed, I noticed Jasper standing on the sideline. He looked like he'd rather be anywhere but there, and I really couldn't blame him. I ended up standing around for two tedious hours just staring off into space.
By the looks on both Jasper's and Emmett's faces in the locker room after practice, I knew I wasn't the only one who was feeling out of it that afternoon. Maybe it was because it was Friday. Maybe it was because the semester was getting to all of us. Whatever it was, I hoped we could all shake it off.
I told the guys I'd see them later that weekend, and made my way out to the parking lot outside of the practice field. I was glad I'd left my car there earlier, because the twenty minute hike to Weston at the end of a day like that was just not something I wished for anyone. I pulled in to my usual spot and smiled over at Bella's red Chevy. It hadn't moved an inch since she had pointed it out to me two weeks ago.
I gave my now customary glance through the lobby looking for her before sulking off towards the elevators. Oh well, twice in one day would have been a miracle.
I stepped into the elevator and punched my floor before looking down at my feet. I put my hand up to my face, trying to rub away the tension currently settling into the crease in my forehead.
I said I was going to make a move. Then I didn't write a message on her board. Then I see her for coffee and start off well before I just blow it by being me. I am such a…
The elevator dinged, breaking me out of my mope. I sighed and brought my hand down.
I looked across the hall and saw that her body was turned towards the bathroom door. I couldn't even see her face. But I just knew it was her.
Bella.
In a towel.
Dear lord.
Alright, focus Edward, I told myself. I cleared my throat. I think I spoke. I remember saying something, or trying to. My mouth had suddenly gone dry. I also apparently thought I could open my dorm room door with my Volvo key.
After she left me standing there gaping at her, I had somehow managed to make it back inside of my room. I threw my keys down on my nightstand and looked at them.
Traitors. How could they let me make a shit out of myself?
She was naked. Bella, the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen – was naked. No clothes, no makeup, hell no nothing. And I had seen her bra. And it was a deep blue. And satin. Smooth like her creamy skin. She was stunning.
Words failed me. I could never manage to say the right thing. I never quite said what I wanted to. Not when I was around her, anyways.
I would just have to try harder.
BPOV
Throughout the week after 'the towel incident', as I had come to call it, I saw Edward everywhere. He was downstairs lounging in the lobby when I came down for class on Monday. He was in the hallway after my last class on Tuesday. On Wednesday, we sat and had a quick coffee together in the Quarry. On Thursday evening, we ended up in the same elevator on our way up to the fifth floor.
I had enjoyed quick, pleasant conversations with him all week. We had both avoided talking about the towel incident, but we had talked about other things.
He asked about my friends on Wednesday during our coffee chat, and I had told him all about Alice. I chatted away about how long we had been friends, and reminded him that she had taken me to Port Angeles often in high school to go shop.
It was Monday afternoon and once we turned in our latest writing assignment, my class was let out early again. I hurried down to the Quarry in the hopes of running into Edward. Even though I had seen him four times last week, I had not seen him Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Thanksgiving break started tomorrow, and I selfishly wanted to see him once more before I left for Forks.
Walking up to the Quarry, I hesitantly scanned the throngs of people waiting around in various groups and lines. I looked down at my feet, realizing it would be hard to spot him in the crowd. I pulled out my phone and was about to do the unthinkable – call Alice to cover my embarrassment for standing hopelessly around the Quarry. Just when I was about to push the send button on her highlighted name, I spotted him quickly making his way over towards me.
I snapped my phone shut and shoved it in my pocket. I could see that he had a huge smile on his face. I bit my lip and grinned back towards him.
He finally made his way over to me and shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey yourself," I replied. "Where's Emmett?" I looked around and scanned the crowd for him before turning my attention back to Edward.
His smile faltered. "Oh, umm, he's at practice today."
"You don't have to be there today?" Please say no, please say no….
"Nah, I have the day off. I've got to work tomorrow and Wednesday this week before I go home for the holiday. Are you going home?" He bit the inside of his cheek. It must be some kind of nervous tic or something. He seemed almost unaware that he was doing it. I wondered if he had rubbed a spot raw inside of his mouth.
I looked at him and blinked, pulling myself out of my head and back into the present conversation. "Oh yeah, Alice is driving me home tomorrow. The Chevy's been acting up lately. I don't know what its problem is. I guess I hurt it's feelings on Halloween." I shrugged my shoulders for emphasis.
He laughed at me and said, "Yeah, you were kinda harsh. Good thing Alice can take you home. I'm riding with Jasper on Wednesday. Hmm," he said thoughtfully. "Jasper just started dating some girl named Alice Brandon. He said she was really short. Could it be the same Alice?"
I cocked my head to the side. I had not talked to Alice in two, no three weeks. How had that happened? Had I been too busy stalking Edward to notice that Alice and I had not called each other this whole time?
"Yeah, she's short alright. Shorter than me, and that's saying something. She's barely five foot one. I haven't talked to her in a while. Are they dating now? I didn't know." I was rambling again. Shut up Bella. Just shut up now.
"Yeah, I guess. Funny you said that you haven't talked to her in a while. I don't think Jasper has been away from her since that Halloween party I was supposed to go with him to. But I'm not really sure. We haven't really talked outside of practice. I've been spending more time with Emm lately."
Whoa – he didn't go to the party? I wonder why. I mean, I'm glad he didn't go hook up with some sorority chick or anything. Shit – is it my turn to talk again?
We both looked around for a few moments, unsure of what to do next. My stomach intervened by growling, loudly.
He looked down at it with a smile. "Hungry?"
"Yeah, I guess I am," I said, embarrassed.
He put his hand on the small of my back and led me down to the food court on the opposite side of the Quarry. I wished I could feel the warmth of his hand, but I had on a sweater with my hoodie over it.
We got in line at one of the deli shops. I chose my food and made my way over to the cashier, but Edward stepped in front of me and paid for my food before I could protest.
We chose the first empty table we could find and sat across from each other this time.
"You really have to stop paying. I mean, you've paid for my coffee twice, and now you go and pay for my lunch."
He smirked at me and said, "Well, my next coffee is on you."
I smiled down into the table, relishing at the idea that he wanted to meet up for coffee again sometime. I was getting used to spending so much time with him. I looked up at him and said, "Deal."
He smiled back at me.
We ate in comfortable silence and when we finished, he walked with me back to the dorms. We chit-chatted about our work schedules, the unpredictable Washington weather, and the fact that our best friends were apparently dating each other. Before we knew it, we had arrived on the fifth floor of Weston Hall, and were standing in front of Edward's room.
He opened the door, this time without a problem, and turned towards me. "Do you want to come in?" He had a strange look on his face. He was obviously nervous, but I caught some other emotion flash behind his eyes. Or at least, I thought I saw something else there. Maybe it was just me – wishful thinking and all.
I wasn't sure what to say, so I declined. "I'd better not." He nodded at me, looking somewhat disappointed. I could have imagined that as well though. I decided my refusal needed further explanation. "I need to pack. Alice is a morning person. She'll want to get out of here at the butt crack of dawn tomorrow." I shrugged my shoulders.
"I understand," he said. He definitely sounded disappointed this time. Maybe I wasn't imagining it. He shrugged and said, "See you next week then, I guess."
"Yeah, I'll see you next week. I owe you a coffee, remember?"
He smiled at me and I grinned back at him, before turning towards my room. Once I made my way down to the end of the hall, I looked back towards his room. He was still standing in the hall, looking at me.
"Happy Thanksgiving Bella," he said. I was surprised I could hear him. His voice was soft and sweet.
"Happy Thanksgiving Edward," I said back.
It was going to be a long holiday.
A/N's: First – don't hunt me down. Tahoe Tanglings is so much fun that I got wrapped up in it! Shameless plug people: Go check out the story. AHelm is my co-author and rock star beta!
Pippapear – your reviews are so great that I actually quoted one of them a bit in this chapter. Did you catch it?
Robert Smith is a god. I shamelessly used a few of his lyrics. If you caught them, I think I love you.
Kim – you are made of win. Think green mask on your face. Think Helga's house of pain. And laugh your ass off with me. :)
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